Perception, Preventive Practice, and Attitude toward Vaccine against COVID-19 among Junior Nursing Students at Menoufia University

Masry, Samah E.; Abdullah, Wafaa H.; El Sheikh, Amal Amin; Mohamed, Lamiaa Abd El Salam

doi:10.21608/menj.2023.315189

Perception, Preventive Practice, and Attitude toward Vaccine against COVID-19 among Junior Nursing Students at Menoufia University

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Assistant Professor of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Menoufia University, Egypt

² Professor of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt

³ Lecturer of Medical Surgical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt

10.21608/menj.2023.315189

Abstract

Background: Knowledge, perception, and preventive behavior should be considered in the planning of effective educational interventions for COVID-19 pandemic. Purpose: to identify the perception, preventive practice, and attitude toward vaccine against COVID-19 among junior nursing students at Menoufia University. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive quantitative design was used. Setting: The study was carried out at the Medical-Surgical Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Menoufia University. Subjects: A convenience sample of 656 undergraduate nursing students of both genders who were enrolled in the fundamental of nursing and medical surgical nursing courses. Instruments: Three instruments were utilized I: Self-administered questionnaire, II: COVID-19 preventive practice questionnaire and III: Attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination scale. Results: 76.2%, 76.5% of the study students had a satisfactory knowledge level of COVID-19 and its preventive measures respectively with mean knowledge scores 15.62 ± 4.10; furthermore most of the studied students reported a positive attitude towards vaccine of COVID-19 and practiced preventive measures. Conclusion: Most of the junior nursing students had satisfactory knowledge level regards COVID-19. Moreover; there is a relationship between the students' age, gender and their total knowledge level. The majority of them demonstrated a positive attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination and reported an accepted level of satisfaction regarding preventive practice. Recommendations: Appropriate vaccination strategies are essential through educational interventions via reliable sources for wider coverage of the university students, a proper training program would enable students to better combat COVID-19 and replication of the study using larger probability samples from different geographical areas to help for generalization of the results.

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